Trap-door for car-vestibules.



No. 774,504. PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904.

A w. ZIMMERMAN? TRAP 30003 FOR GAR VBSTIBULES.

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- I ll u" wmmw No. 774,504. PATENTED NOV. 8. 1904. A. W. ZIMMERMAN. TRAP DOOR FOR GAR VBSTIBULBS.

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F0 MODEL mums-sum 2 UNITED STATES Patented November 8, 1904.

PATENT QEETCE.

ARNOLD WV. ZIMMERMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO PETER M. KLING, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

TRAP-DOOR FOR CAR-VESTIBULES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,504, dated November 8, 1904.

Application filed June 21, 1904. Serial No. 213,467. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARNOLD WV. ZIMMERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trap-Doors for Car-Vestibul es, of which the following is a specification. I

The present invention relates to improvements in trap-doors for tightly closing the opening leading from the car-platform to the steps of vestibuled electric cars, which are now largely used in suburban traffic.

The invention is also applicable to other forms of vestibuled carssuch, for instance, as the vestibuled steam-railway cars.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective trap-door construction for tightly closing the step-opening in the platform of vestibuled cars, so as to completely prevent the entrance of air, dirt, and dust. The improved construction of platform is of course used in combination with some form of vestibule-door as is usual in the construction of vestibuled cars.

To this end the present invention comprises a trap-door or supplemental movable platform-section of the proper shape and size to closely fit in the opening in the car-platform leading to the steps and provided upon its under side with parallel rack-bars extending from end to end of the trap-door and a rotatable shaft suitably journaled in the frame of the car-platform and having rigidly mounted upon it two cog-wheels or pinions of equal size with which the rack-bars upon the trapdoor intermesh. The trap-door is also provided with two guide-straps extending parallel with the rack-bars and inclosing the rotary shaft for confining the trap-door upon the shaft and holding the rack-bars in mesh with the gears or pinions. The construction is such that the trap-door may be raised at its outer end upon the shaft as a pivot until the trap-door assumes a practically vertical position and then lowered to its open vertical position, with its inner (lower) end resting upon the inner edge of the first step below the car-platform. In this change from closed horizontal position to open vertical position tionary supplemental rack-teeth, with which the rack-bars of the trap-door intermesh when the trap-door is in horizontal closed position, thesestationary rack-teeth forming substantial supports for the trap-door and also means for insuring the proper closed position of the trap-door in the platform-opening. The movable trap-door is also preferably provided at its outer edge with a jamb-plate or ledge, which when the trap-door is in horizontal closed position forms an effective abutment against which the vestibule-car door may be tightly closed and when in open vertical position rests in a recess formed in the car-platform at the inner edge of the step-opening and partly covers the rotary shaft and gears and forms a satisfactory threshold or extension of the car-platform convenient to the carsteps.

The present invention embodies other improved features of construction, which, together with the above-named main features, will first be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, and afterward pointed out with more particularity as to their novelty in the annexed claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one end of a vestibuled car, showing I the application of the presentinvention. Fig. 2 is' a detail plan view of the'car-platform, partly broken away, showing the improved construction of trap-door in horizontal closed position. Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of the trap-door construction, parts being broken away, showing the trapdoor in vertical open position. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view of the trap-door shown in the same position as in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is adetail transverse sectional view of part of the trapdoor construction. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing a slight modification.

1 is a vestibuled car of any suitable construction having the vestibule 2, the vestibule-platform 3, and the hinged vestibuledoor 4, which is provided with a suitable bolt 6 for securing it in closed position. As is usual in constructing vestibule-cars, the platform is cut out at both sides to form a passage-opening, such as 3, to the car-steps 5, which are suitably mounted beneath the platform.

All vestibule-cars are provided with some form of trap-door for closing the step-opening of the platform, and the present invention relates to an improved construction of such trap-doors.

10 is a rotary shaft journaled at its ends in bearings 11, supported upon the transverse frame-pieces 12 of the car-platform. This shaft 10 has keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to it adjacent to its opposite ends the gear-wheels or pinions 13 of equal size, which are preferably formed with the annular guidefianges 14.

15 is a trap-door shaped to snugly fit and close the step-opening 3 of the platform 3. The parallel rack-bars 16 are secured at the front and rear edges of the trap-door 15, with their teeth presented downwardly therefrom and meshing with the gear-wheels or pinions 13. Each of these rack-bars 16 is formed with guide-flanges 16 and 16 and with mortising-flange16, which latter is set into the upper face of the trap-door and suitably secured thereto. The fianges 16 guide upon the inner vertical faces of gears 13, while flanges 16 ride upon the flanges 141 of gears 13. The trap-door also carries upon its under face a pair of metal guide straps or loops 17, extending parallel with the rackbars 16 and secured rigidly to the trap-door at their ends. At the outer edge of the trapdoor 15 (considering the trap-door in its horizontal closed position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3) is rigidly secured a combination jamb and threshold plate 19, which finishes the outer edge of the trap-door, forms an effective flange against which the vestibule-door may be tightly closed, and provides an effective tread for the inner edge of the stepopening of the platform when the trap-door is in open position.

Secured to the inner faces of the transverse frame-pieces 12 of the step-opening of the platform are the supplemental rack-teeth 18 for the purpose which will presently be explained.

The improved trap-door is mounted in the step-opening 3 of the car-platform with the rack-bars 16 in mesh with the gears or pinions 13 and the straps or loops 17 inclosing the shaft 10. When the trap-door is in its horizontal closed position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the inner portions of the rack-bars are in engagement with the gears and the outer portions of the rack-bars are resting in engagement with the supplemental stationary rack-teeth 18, which afford a substantial support for the outer end of the trap-door and accurately place the trap-door in closed position. WVhen the trap-door is in this closed position the vestibule-door 4 may be closed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, so that the lower edge of the door will snugly abut against the combination jamb and threshold plate 19. When it is desired to open the car-vestibule, the door 4 is first opened and secured out of the way of the vertical movement of the trapdoor, when the trap-door may be raised at its outer end, (the shaft and gears 13 freely rotating to allow such vertical movement upon the shaft as a pivot,) and when it assumes a vertical position it is lowered Vertically to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the rack traveling upon the gears 13 and causing both sides of the trap-door to move equally, so as not to bind in the step-opening, the straps 17 confining the rack-bars in mesh with the gears and holding the trap-door in place.

When the trap-door is in its opened vertical position, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the combination jamb and threshold plate 19 rests in horizontal position, with its inner edge in the recess or mortise 20, formed in the platform 3 at the edge of the step-opening. This plate 19 also projects partly over the rotary shaft 10 and gears 13 and affords a neat and convenient tread for persons entering or leaving the car. The metal straps or loops 17 also limit the movement of the trap-door upon the shaft and materially assist in supporting the trap-door in vertical opened position. In the event that the length of the trap-door (transversely of the car) is less than the distance from the platform to the first step beneath the straps 17 will support substantially the whole weight of the trap-door. This would also be true in case the trap-door is longer than the drop from the platform to first step, in which case the step would be made narrow or set forward sufficiently to provide room behind it for the trap-door to be lowered into its open vertical position.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a slightly-modified arrangement in which the vestibule-door must be closed before the trap-door is closed. In this arrangement the only diflerence is that the trap-door is made shorter and a jamb-strip 21 is placed upon the door. A sliding bolt 22 is shown for locking the door and trapdoor in closed position.

I prefer to employ a locking mechanism on the vestibule car-door to lock it in open or closed position, and for this purpose the looking mechanism covered by my oopending application, Serial No. 215,616, filed July 7, 1904, may be used to advantage.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1'. The combination of a car-platform having a step-opening, with a trap-door fitting said opening and'capable of rotary and longitudinal movement therein, and intermeshing toothed gearing between the trap-door and platform, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of a car-platform mem' ber having a step-opening, with a movable trap-door member fitting said opening, and intermeshing rack and gear between the platform and trap-door members, the rack being mounted on one of said members and the gear beingjournaled upon the other of said members, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a car-platform having a step-opening, with a movable trap-door fitting said opening and provided with rackteeth, and a rotary gear journaled in the carplatform and meshing with said rack-teeth, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a car-platform having a step-opening, with a movable trap-door fitting said opening, rack-bars upon the trapdoor, and connected rotary gears journaled in the platform and meshing with said rackbars, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a car-platform member having a step-opening, with a movable trap-door member fitting said opening, parallel rack-bars secured to one of said members, and connected rotary gears journaled upon the other member and meshing with said rackbars, substantially asset forth.

6. The combination of a car-platform having a step-opening, with a movable trap-door fitting said opening and provided with parallel rack-bars upon its lower face, and a rotary shaft journaled in the car-platform and carrying gears which mesh with said rack-bars, substantially as set forth.

'7. The combination of a car-platform having a step-opening, with a trap-door fitting said opening and capable of rotary and longitudinal movements therein, and cooperating rack-teeth upon the car-platform adjacent to the step-opening and upon the trap-door at or adjacent to one of its side edges, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of a car-platform having a stepopening, with a movable trap-door fitting said opening and provided with rackbars upon its lower face, connected rotary gears journaled in the car-platform and meshing with said rack-bars, and rack-teeth upon the car-platform at the sides of the step-opening with which said trap-door rack-bars engage when the trap-door is in closed position, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of a car-platform having a step-opening, with a movable trap-door fitting said opening and provided with parallel rack-bars upon its lower face, a rotary shaft journaled in the car-platform and carrying gears which mesh with said rack-bars, and stationary rack-teeth upon the car-platform at the sides of the step-opening with which said rack-bars engage when the trap-door is in closed position, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination of a car platform formed with a step-opening, a movable trapdoor fitting said opening, a shaft mounted upon the car-platform at the inner end of the step-opening, and guide straps or loops secured to the trap-door and inclosing said shaft, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination of a car platform formed with a step-opening, a shaft mounted upon the car-platform at the inner end of the step-opening, a movable trap-door fitting said step-opening and resting above the said shaft, and guide straps or loops secured to the lower face of the trap-door and inclosing said shaft to confine and guide the trap-door thereon when it is moved from closed to open position and vice versa, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination of a car platform formed with a step-opening, with a movable trap-door fitting said opening and provided with parallel rack-bars, a transverse rotatable shaft journaled upon the car-platform at the inner end of the step-opening, gear-wheels mounted upon said shaft and meshing with the rack-bars of the trap-door, and guide straps or loops, secured to the trap-door and inclosing said shaft, substantially as set forth.

13. The combination of a car platform formed with a step-opening, with a movable trap-door fitting said opening and provided with parallel rack-bars, a transverse rotatable shaft journaled upon the car-platform at the inner end of the step-opening, gear-wheels mounted upon said shaft and meshing with the rack-bars of the trap-door, guide straps or loops secured to the trap-door and inclosing said shaft, and rack-teeth upon the carplatform at the sides of the step-opening with which said trap-door rack-bars engage when the 1trap-door is closed, substantially as set fort i.

14:. The combination of a car-platform hav-.

ing a step-opening, with a movable trap-door fitting said opening, rack-bars 16 secured to the trap-door and formed with guide-flanges, connected form at the inner end of the step-opening and meshing with said rackbars and engaging said guide-flanges, substantially as set forth.

15. The combination of a car platform formed with a step-opening, atrap-door fitting said opening, means for supporting the trap.- door in horizontal closed position and vertical open position, intermeshing rack-bars and gears between the trap-door and platform, and a combined jamb and tread plate attached to the outer edge of said trap-door, substantially as set forth.

ARNOLD W. ZIMMERMAN.

IIO

gears journaled upon the car-plat- 

